Which party is being hurt the most by the shutdown — Democrats or Republicans?

English: U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Speaker of the House John Boehner during the debt ceiling increase negotiations. The official White House caption says “President Barack Obama meets with Speaker of the House John Boehner on the patio near the Oval Office, Sunday, July 3, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s an open question, and the voters might not decide until the next election. But until then, both parties are maneuvering for the best advantage in this crisis. As Yahoo News reported,

“”Republicans and Democrats are using the ongoing battle over the government shutdown and the debt ceiling to bludgeon vulnerable candidates with paid-messaging campaigns, efforts that offer a glimpse into their political playbooks before the midterm elections next year.

“The attack campaigns, which have come in the form of online ads and robocalls in battleground states, also shine a light on how political gamesmanship can drive policy decisions in Washington.

“For example, since the government shut down Oct. 1, House Republicans have held a series of votes to fund a handful of popular government programs with full knowledge that Democrats would reject them. While refusing to hold a vote on a ‘clean’ funding bill to reopen the entire government, Republicans have voted to fund programs such as the National Park System and National Institutes of Health. Many House Democrats crossed party lines to vote for them, but the Democrat-led Senate has rejected the piecemeal approach.”